An Unknown Threat Concealed weapons in college campus’s have been a big issue since the mass shootings in Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities. Allowing for guns to be allowed in college campus’s would be a bad thing to do since it would create additional risks for students, even if weapons were allowed it wouldn’t deter the shooter, and it would detract from a healthy learning environment. So far there is only five states , Colorado, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin, that allow “concealed carry” at school campus. Alternatively, the people who believe that concealed weapons should be allowed in college campus state that they are are allowed to because of what the second amendment. The second amendment allows for any resident of the United States to be able to buy and own a concealed weapon of their choice. Students for Concealed Carry state the point that a person should be allowed to own a gun if they wish to be able to feel safe and protect themselves by stating, “Why should a 105-pound woman who is allowed the means to defend herself against a 250-pound would-be rapist outside of campus not be afforded the same right on campus” (647)? Other people also believe that having a gun would be able to deter the shooter. They believe the shooter would be stopped just by the thought of him going to a place filled with guns would trigger feat in their brain and make them rethink that they are about to do. “It’s hard to attain infamy if a concealed handgun license holder ends your shooting spree before it begins” (Students for Concealed Carry 647). The final point most people who are for concealed carry on campus is that they believe they would be able to stop the shooter faster or before he even begins the shoot... ... middle of paper ... ...ment where anybody should be able to speak their mind and not be threatened by what they believe. “Whether it’s a classroom debate, a student-teacher conversation about a grade, or an informal interaction in a dormitory: the presence of hidden handguns would restrain the open exchange of ideas that is so critical to the college experience” (Students for Gun-Free Schools 634). Ultimately, both sides agree that guns are dangerous around anybody no matter if it’s in school or in the public. It’s what you do to prevent it from being dangerous that helps. Guns would just risk students’ lives, guns won’t always stop a student with suicidal and psychological problems, and it should be left out so students should be able to express themselves freely without feeling threatened. Even if I’m a 6 ft.2in, 260 pound guy I would feel threatened at the sight of a concealed weapon.
In “Stop Worrying About Guns in the Classroom. They’re Already here.” the author, Erik Gilbert, argues in favor of the law allowing the concealed carry of firearms in college campuses. Gilbert claims that it’s futile to be “worried by the prospect of having guns in [the] classroom” because he believes that even before the bill was passed, some students and faculty were already carrying firearms to campus (Gilbert). Furthermore, he insinuates that despite the presence of firearms, there were no incidents of student or faculty causing harm. To support his argument, the author provides incidents which have occurred over the last decade at his campus, such as accidental discharge of guns in dorms, firearms in student’s vehicles, and one faculty member who was discovered to be in possession of a gun in an on-campus facility. Considering these incidents and previous knowledge of “prevailing regional attitudes towards guns”, the author assumes that significant numbers of students, and possibly faculty, bring guns on campus regularly (Gilbert). As for those who are afraid due to the new law, he declares to them that firearm permit-holders are not dangerous by comparing the rate of their crimes to that of police officers. He also reasons that permit holders need to be at least 21 to qualify—claiming that the more mature students qualify—and have background checks performed.
People who disagree with me think that there should be concealed gun carry on college campuses because it will make the students safer in a risky situation by making the students able to shoot down and stop the shooter. Students for Concealed Carry, an organization for concealed gun carry on campus, say, “The crux of the SGFS essay is the undeniable fact that college campuses typically have lower crime rates than the cities in which they reside” (642). In “Why Our Campuses Are Safer Without Concealed Handguns”, an article against concealed handgun carry, states that, “Our colleges and universities are safe sanctuaries for learning.” (633).
While the opposing team fears that this law may bring more deaths, and will not solve any issues but create new ones, it will also make campuses an unsafe place for students and faculty. The majority of the students who attend universities or in general do not have a license to carry a weapon, but that still does not stop how unsafe people feel in classrooms, or in their dorms. In my opinion, I am someone who opposes the campus carry law. I believe that weapons bring nothing but danger and fear, and many other students and professors feel the same way.
Why would a student feel the need to carry a concealed weapon on campus? After all they’re headed to a “school” not a war zone. Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin are the only states that allow concealed weapons on campus. Arizona and other states let schools decide the policy on weapons. Many states prohibited concealed weapons on campus which is the right choice. Most colleges who allow their students to carry concealed weapons increase the chances of violence on campus. College students must be unable to carry concealed weapons on
Supporting Point Why should college campuses be any different? They contain the country’s future presidents, senators and judges. They are also one of the most vulnerable places because most colleges don’t allow firearms on campus. The most important factor is that many students don’t pay attention to their surroundings so they are put in dangerous situations and they should be able to defend themselves to a certain extent.
Gun-control laws are a very controversial topic right now in the U.S., especially when it comes to allowing concealed-carry holders on college campuses. Nevertheless, guns should be permitted for concealed carry on college campuses if the carriers have concealed-carry licenses because mass shootings occur mostly in gun-free zones. There have been many incidents in which concealed-carry holders have disarmed attackers, and concealed-carry holders are overwhelmingly law-abiding citizens. However, the argument’s opponents believe guns should not be allowed on college campuses for various reasons, including: professors might be afraid to issue bad grades, a gun may go off by accident, college
The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution states, “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” They feel like their basic right is being restricted by not being able to carry. “Many states have adopted the “stand your ground” legislation, which asserts that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat, without an obligation to retreat first” (Aronowitz and Vaughn 57). Pro-gun activist also think that having guns on campuses for protection will likely reduce the amount of mass shootings. Pro-gun activist believe that you can’t always rely on the police for
College campuses are more dangerous than ever because of the past decade; guns have not only been manufactured in excess, but availability and ease of accessibility. According to James Cool (2008), a supporter of guns on campus, reasoned why the increase of weapons occurred recently; “Our nation was founded … during the same time that modern firearms were invented and became readily available due to the Industr...
Policies were put on campuses to make the environment, classes, and buildings safe and healthy. If people are allowed to walk around with a concealed weapon, the whole atmosphere will be disrupted. Not only would it distract from classes, but like and article “Why Our Campuses Are Safer without Concealed Handguns” written by Students For Gun-Free Schools says “The introduction of handguns on our campuses would inhibit dialogue by creating fear of possible retaliation” (635). This means that not only will the learning of a students be affected, but dialogue between each other as
Due to the recent disruption of violent crimes on campus, many citizens that are pro-gun activist have suggested that both the students and teachers should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on school campuses. Those who are with guns allowed on school campuses claim that their rights have been violated for the reason that many college campuses refuse to allow weapons of any kind on their property. The Constitution of The United States of America already grants citizens the right to carry guns with them. It is not appropriate for guns to be in a vulnerable area such as a college campus or any University. There are already too many guns available to the public or easy to get any kind of gun, and allowing them on
In Adam Winklers article “The Guns of Academic” states his point of view on why guns shouldn’t or should be on college or university campuses. He lets his readers know that although he is against guns being on campuses he also list out the pros and cons of owning a gun on campuses. I believe students should not be able to carry guns on college or university campuses. The first reason why I believe guns shouldn’t be allowed because undergraduates are too young to handle firearms responsibly. In the article winkler states that if a student does try to protect themselves against a murder they may or may not be able to aim for the right person and can hit an innocent person “Policemen or other students with guns might not be able to differentiate the gunman”(Winkler 9).
Three principal reasons motivate his opinion. First, guns on the campuses do not reduce the risk of violence and crimes. “There is no credible statistical evidence demonstrating that laws allowing the carrying of concealed firearms reduce crime. ”(Dickerson) In addition, in most of the cases, guns are not used in the self-defenses purpose, but for aggression.
Campuses should be focused on how to educate the students not in allowing guns on campuses because they feel it will make things safer. According to state Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat “ We should invest in arming our students with a 21st century education, not arming them with handguns”.(McGaughy). Guns on campus are not the cheapest way to go for colleges and universities in any state. For instance “ Idaho’s campuses that allowed the bill to be passed have spend more than 1.5 million to increase the security in the first year alone and expect total costs to top 3.7 million for the
Just as any other subject, guns being allowed on school campuses has cons and pros. Some pro-arguments are that guns can prevent a slaughter and safe many people’s lives in case someone try to use his/her gun against others. For example, if a person who is in a classroom, knows how to use a gun and also has access to one, if a criminal starts a shooting you can use your gun and shoot against the criminal and safe your life and the others’ lives. This is a great argument to allow arms on schools or public places because it would prevent people’s
The debate over weapons on campus is more prevalent today because of the many recent mass shooting that have occurred in centers for education and other public places like the shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook Elementary, and Virginia Tech. Mass shooting/active shooter situations at education centers are usually committed by students of that education center or by someone connected to the educational center. Even though allowing weapons on college campuses may seem like a good idea, weapons should not be present on campus because of the negative effects it has on the campus and puts people’s life at risk. College campuses should not allow weapons on campus because of accidental discharges and mishaps that may occur on campus, like students who are on drugs while carrying a weapon. The presence of weapons on a college campus may cause accidental discharges of a weapon and mishaps